Dirk Nowitzki Set to Pass Larry Bird in Scoring List As Mavericks Face Magic

Dirk Nowitzki is and forever will be compared to Larry Bird. There is no way around it. Dirk is the closest any player has been to the style and skills of Larry Bird. While Bird still comes out as the better player, it is would be a dishonor to the big German to argue he is far from Bird’s legacy.

Tonight, December 21^st, Dirk Nowitzki will most likely pass Larry Bird as 25^th in the NBA all-time scoring list as he will only need 10 points to reach the 21,791 total Larry posted in his career.

Larry Bird is only one of several big names Nowitzki will be passing in the coming months. By season’s end, Dirk will likely pass Gary Payton (21,813) and Clyde Drexler (22,195) and claim he 23^rd spot. And that is only the start of this record breaking run.

As any Maverick fan and possibly any NBA fan already know, Dirk signed a four-year extension with the Mavericks in the summer. Assuming he stays injury-free as he commonly does season after season and he keeps his consistency at bay, he will quickly climb up the scoring list into perhaps as high as sixth, trailing the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and most likely Kobe Bryant.

The Mavericks come into tonight’s game winning 15 out of their last 16 games, with the only loss coming against Milwaukee in a game that came down to the last few seconds. On the other hand, the Magic are coming into the game following their first game and loss with the new revamped roster featuring Gilbert Arenas and returning swingman Hedo Turkoglu.

As it has been in the past, the Magic do not have a long athletic power forward able to give Dirk Nowitzki the coverage he demands one-on-one. Therefore, Dirk will likely see double-teams all night which will open up shots all over the court. Dwight Howard always gave the Mavericks fits given their lack of paint defense, but with Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood, the Mavericks have been able to hold their own against physically strong front courts around the league.

Featuring two very talented teams with very talented players, this game might be a bit more lopsided than the regular NBA fin might expect. The Mavericks will likely win this game easily regardless of the dominance of Dwight Howard. The fact that the Magic’s new roster will be playing only their second game together will give the Mavericks plenty of opportunities to take the defense apart and enforce the zone defense that has established them as an elite team in the West.

In conclusion, the Mavericks get an easy win and Dirk becomes the 25^th NBA all-time leading scorer passing the Larry “The Legend” Bird.